LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 29

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 29

venture with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Con-
cers raised by our doctrinal review process have made it likely
that the final product will be published solely by the ELCA’s Augs-
burg Fortress Publishers.

The two resources listed above have heightened the commis-
sion’s awareness of the need to examine the relationship between
worship and culture. The commission looks forward to an inten-
sive examination of this issue in the coming triennium.

A number of resources have been identified as high priorities
in the coming triennium. Among them: a video that explains the
liturgy, books on worship for children, liturgical resources for spe-
cial occasions, a video on church music intended to encourage
young children to learn to play a musical instrument, and adult
Bible studies on worship and related topics.

The Hymnal and the Future

The commission has given considerable thought to the question
of what place the hymnal will have in the future. Recognizing that
the hymnal is the church’s prayer book, the commission is com-
mitted to providing the Synod with hymnals that are both faithful to
the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions and responsive to the
needs of the people of God who will soon be entering a new mil-
lennium.

Because a hymnal requires considerable time for study, field-
testing, and production, the commission has set itself the goal of
using the next decade to produce a new/revised hymnal. The mod-
ifier “new/revised” is deliberately chosen by the commission be-
cause it recognizes that while there are many “new” features asso-
ciated with a newly published hymnal, nevertheless, a hymnal also
represents the very best of what has gone before. With this under-
standing in mind, the goal of the commission is to produce a hym-
nal that can truly be seen as a successor to both The Lutheran Hym-
nal and Lutheran Worship.

The basic outline of work on the hymnal will be as follows:

1998-2001 Research and study

2001 convention Proposal for field-testing (in accor-
dance with Bylaw 3.929 a)
Continued research, development,
and field-testing
Proposal for acceptance of final

2001-2004

2004 convention

manuscript

2004-2007 Final development, field-testing, and
editing

2007 convention New/revised hymnal presented to
convention

Because unforeseen circumstances can always delay work, the
commission will report any changes in its timetable to the 2001
convention.

Hymnal Supplement 98

In order to provide new worship resources to congregations as
they wait for the new/revised hymnal, the commission will present
to the Synod a new supplement at the 1998 convention. This re-
source is in direct response to the urging of the 1995 convention
(Res. 2-07). The supplement will contain several liturgical orders, a
selection of new psalm settings, and approximately 115 hymns.
Many of the hymns are recently composed, some come from a va-
riety of ethnic origins, others feature a responsorial style that pro-
vides for added variety in worship. Complementing the supplement
will be a companion volume published by the commission and sev-
eral comprehensive musical resources published by Concordia Pub-
lishing House.

Toward the Future

The commission finds itself incapable of looking to the future
without first reviewing the past. At the 1995 convention, Res. 2-
03A was passed overwhelmingly, indicating the desire of the
Synod to retain the Commission on Worship as a free-standing
commission. That resolution called for a close working relation-
ship with the newly organized Board for Congregational Services,
a relationship which has worked well during the past triennium.

As the commission looks to the future, it recognizes that the
congregations of Synod are looking for worship resources that are
theologically faithful as well as reflective of our rich liturgical and
hymnic treasures. Additionally, the commission sees important op-
portunities to make the church aware of the diversity of gifts that
God has given to His church.

The recent approval by the Synod’s Board of Directors to the
commission’s request for an assistant director is encouraging, for it
demonstrates that the Synod recognizes the importance of provid-
ing adequate support to congregations as they gather weekly to re-
ceive the gifts of God that He freely distributes in His Word and
Sacrament.

Accomplishments

1. After a 44 year vacancy, the executive director’s position was
filled.

. Published quarterly supplemental inserts in the Reporter to aid
in the worship education of the Synod.

. Continued sponsorship of Real Life Worship Conferences.

. Published Hymnal Supplement 98, a major worship resource
for congregations of the Synod.

. Received approval and funding to bring on a full-time assistant.

. Secured funding to begin work on a full revision of the
Synod’s hymnals during the next decade.

RW N

Awm

Goals

1. To host 30—35 regional workshops to introduce the new
supplement to the Synod

2. To begin development and field-testing of new/revised hymnal
project

3. To develop and implement a synodwide training program and
certification process for church musicians

4. To continue to provide leadership and personnel to sponsor
both Real Life Worship Conferences and other conferences and
workshops

5. To identify opportunities for promoting sound worship
education in congregations

Resources

. Altar Guild Manual (1997)
. Hymnal Supplement 98 (summer of 1998)
. Worship: A Lutheran Perspective
. Supplemental inserts to the Reporter
. “Reflections on Contemporary/Alternative Worship” (1998)
. “Reflections on Children’s Sermons/Messages” (1997)
Roger D. Pittelko, Chairman

Paul J. Grime, Executive Director

ABAMLWN—

Appendix R2-02A
Reflections on Children’s Sermons/Messages

In many of our congregations a custom has developed of devot-
ing a portion of the service specifically to the children. The Com-
mission on Worship offers the following reflections, cautions, and
suggestions.

1. The inclusion of a children’s sermon/message should not give
the impression that this is the only part of the service that speaks
to children. It is important to recognize that the entire service is
for all of God’s people. Naturally, there are some aspects of a
service that are not immediately understandable to the children.
(The same is true of visitors.) The worship of the church is by its
very nature something that we grow into as it shapes and forms
us over a lifetime. It is for this reason that the commission en-
courages that children be present for the entire service.

2. A children’s sermon/message falls under the category of an adi-
aphoron. However, when the message aims at being trite and
cute or when it is used primarily as a means of entertaining the
children (or even the adults), then it is no longer an adiaphoron.

Neither are useless and foolish spectacles, which serve neither good
order, Christian discipline, nor evangelical decorum in the church, true
adiaphora or things indifferent. (FC SD 10, 7)